Learning from U.P. elections !!!

People say that politicians don't have to face consequences but I have mostly been against this(rather IAS officers don't have to undergo a test once they are selected, they might get transferred but they still remain IAS where ever they go). For a politicians who wants longevity in his political life he has to face results.


As the poll results are being announced in the recent elections held in five states, there is a very peculiar phenomena going around but the big question is "Will our national parties reflect on their acts and learn from the results ?" As said earlier, this election is going to set the mood for 2014 Parliamentary election. It is time for our national parties to come strong on their agendas and of course with strong leadership.


Here I would try to summarize the important message that are being unfolded as the ballot is counted:

1. Clearly people have expelled Mayawati for the work she has not done. UP needed development not public parks. How can a hungry man go and enjoy in the park ?  Mayawati forgot that statues dont vote & voting does not happen in well carved public parks and kept constructing more and more statues, parks. She missed getting voter ids for all the statues, might have got few more seats. People want development and that has truly reflected in the result. She should have learned from Bihar's poll result but she did not.
2. SP emerged the strongest, reason being the only choice among all, amazing work done by Akhilesh and the connect that the party has with ground workers. Assembly elections depend a lot more on local leaders rather than big names or rather surnames. Akhilesh had emerged as the new face among the youth leaders but probably Mulayam will take oath as the new CM and the challenge ahead for Akhilesh would be to keep a check on the famous Gundaraj of SP in their last government (SP fielded nearly 90 candidates with criminal records.)
3. Congress has done a satisfactory job, it has got much more than it deserves. All involved in corruption, playing the communal card with Muslim reservation, bringing their biggest face Rahul Gandhi and even using "beauty" Priyanka to get the votes has not worked for them. This shows voters are mature enough to decide on whom to vote, they might come to see the duo but that doesn't mean that they would vote for them. Now the important thing is that whether the much hyped chopper campaign and the man behind it will once in his life come forward and take the responsibility.
4. The party which came into existence as "Party with a difference" has to rethink on the way ahead. Completely lost without a credible leadership, they need to take a break and think on how to move ahead for 2014 election. The only party that "seems" democratic in our country has to restructure itself otherwise they will repeat similar performance in 2014 also. It will not be the failure of BJP but it would be their dis-service to the nation of not giving the people a choice other than Congress. 
5. Both Congress and BJP have to respect the regional parties like BSP, SP in UP; AIDMK, DMK in Tamil Nadu or Trinamol Congress in WB. It is very clear from current political scenario that there will a coalition government in 2014 also. BJP needs to partner with Mamta(Trinamol Congress) and Jayalalita (AIDMK) to enhance their chances of forming government in 2014 and the good thing is that both these leaders are not very happy with current disrespect they have got from Congress. This is a chance for BJP to strengthen their alliance with regional parties. 
6. We cant say that movements like "Jan-Lokpal" had any effect on the election but for sure Hazare should be given the credit of spreading the awareness among masses which resulted into large turnouts of voters. 

All the best to the new governement !! Let's hope for developmental work from this government.

U.P Hungry for Change !

U.P. has always been the hotspot of politics in our country. The party that governs UP has remained largely at Centre with ease. But since last two decade we have witnessed a change in this and the result has been coalition governments at centre. BSP and SP emerging to be the largest in last two decade have played a big role in formation of government at centre. The counter effect to this is that both Congress and BJP are forced to form coalition government. BJP came to power only after sweeping in UP election and the day since it lost its hold in UP, it has been struggling to form a government at centre.

Both BSP and SP had been playing politics of caste, liquor and goons. BSP playing the cards of lower caste (dalit) vote bank and SP getting the privilege of backwards and Muslims votes have dominated in UP in last few elections. Rewinding five years and going back to 2007 elections Mayawati came up with a magical formula of Dalit-Brahmin coalition, she made S. C. Mishra party secretary and a new slogan was coined “Brahmin Shankh Bajayega, Hathi Badhta Jayega”. She gained huge advantage and came to power but the upper caste voter has alienated BSP and once fooled in 2007 is now looking for options in Congress and BJP.

Congress which has been under pressure due to alleged role of its leaders in high level corruption and the Jan- Lokpal movement is waiting for its Yuvraj Rahul Gandhi to do the magic in 2012 election. BJP on the other hand has been a party largely without focus, without leadership (but many leaders) and with an anti- Congress agenda rather than an agenda of developmental politics. One more thing which has always been against BJP is their communal image and their Hindutva agenda. In UP Muslims don’t turn out to vote for BSP, SP or Congress but they vote the party that can win against the BJP candidate. Jan- Lokpal movement was a lifetime opportunity for BJP to mend its basics and emerge as a strong alternative in front of people but they have lost this opportunity badly.

The recent voter turn-out in UP election clearly shows a huge increase in percentage voting in comparison to 2007 election. This can be majorly due to two reasons, firstly the increase in awareness among voters and secondly they are fed up of current government or system.  We can’t deny both because we have witnessed huge public movements (protests) against the system not only in India but also in different part of world in last one year.

Hopefully we will elect a better government in UP and it will follow the pursuit of development as seen in Bihar and few other states of our country. March 6 will also decide the trend for 2014 general elections in our country.

Lead The Change – Igniting Hearts (6 weeks… 5 issues… 30 Changemakers… 9 Role Models…)

Youth Alliance has come up with a new program “Lead The Change”.

Apply Now: http://youthallianceofindia.org/lead-the-change/apply-now/  (Last Date 28 February)

Presentation: http://bit.ly/zCCbGf

“There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” – Nelson Mandela

Lead The Change (LTC) is dedicated to developing social leaders; well-rounded youngsters who are equipped with leadership skills to solve the challenges faced by their communities. Its core aim is to ignite young hearts with holistic concern for their society and nation.

LTC  Program will involve upto 30 youngsters in a six week  program. The program will expose them to pressing issues of our societies such as human dignity, education and rural immersion. They will study solutions offered by role models, personalities and get a short experience in leadership education. They will be expected to apply this experience to come up with solution for a small local issue and in the process, understand how to set up an enterprise. They will emerge with the wealth of a rich network and a sound understanding of systemic social change.

LTC’s Core Purpose:

Youth wants to contribute but often finds it hard to figure out the right way to go about it.  We believe that by exposing passionate young people to these issues and giving them opportunities to interact with role models, we can sensitize them and sow a seed deep in their hearts.  It will also help them in making informed choices of how they shape their future.

• It will change the outlook of young people towards issues surrounding them and enhance their skills and knowledge to address them
• It will provide the young with the ability to seek holistic long term solutions and provide them great alternate career choices
• Turn the direction of conversation among youth groups  from mere discussion of problems to solution oriented talks, and eventually action oriented plans
• Develop a pool of social leaders and build a strong network
• Create a community of youth who could serve as role model for their contemporaries
• Inspire  to act, cause attitudinal shift in mindset

About Youth Alliance:

Youth Alliance is an organization working with a vision to “Connect EACH Youth With a Cause”. We believe in the philosophy of sensitizing young people towards the society by showing them the real picture and connecting them to ground reality.We also have a range of programmes like “Samarpan”;”Come Alive” meant to create awareness as well as bring change in society.  It is an initiative of a  Teach For India alumni from 2009 batch.

Apply Now: http://youthallianceofindia.org/lead-the-change/apply-now/

Agnipath !! Agnipath !! Agnipath !! अग्नि पथ! अग्नि पथ! अग्नि पथ!

Just loved this poem...A lovely composition !!!

वृक्ष हों भले खड़े,
हो घने, हो बड़े,
एक पत्र-छॉंह भी मॉंग मत, मॉंग मत, मॉंग मत!
अग्नि पथ! अग्नि पथ! अग्नि पथ!

तू न थकेगा कभी!
तू न थमेगा कभी!
तू न मुड़ेगा कभी!
कर शपथ! कर शपथ! कर शपथ!

ये महान दृश्य है, चल रहा मनुष्य है,
अश्रु श्वेत् रक्त से,
लथ पथ, लथ पथ, लथ पथ !
अग्नि पथ! अग्नि पथ! अग्नि पथ!

--हरिवंशराय बच्चन

अगर नींद से प्यारा है सपना...तो यह जगह तुम्हारी है ....

अगर नींद से प्यारा है सपना, 
और ज़िद के साथ ले सकते हो जोख़िम
तो यह जगह तुम्हारी है ...

अगर शुरू कर सकते हो अकेले,
और बढ़ने के लिए नहीं ढूंढोगे सहारा
तो यह जगह तुम्हारी है ...

अगर भरोसा है खुद पर,
और अविश्वास नहीं है जग पर
तो यह जगह तुम्हारी है ...

अगर चल सकते हो अनथक,
और छाव का इंतज़ार नहीं है
तो यह जगह तुम्हारी है ...

अगर भूख लगे और याद आए भूखा,
और प्यास पर, तालाब एक सूखा
तो यह जगह तुम्हारी है ...

अगर आँख नहीं है पर दृष्टि है,
तन का एक भाग नहीं है, पर मस्ती है
तो यह जगह तुम्हारी है ...

अगर नहीं चाहते आग लगाना,
और चिंगारी है एक मकसद
तो यह जगह तुम्हारी है ...

अगर नींद से प्यारा है सपना,
और ज़िद के साथ ले सकते हो जोख़िम
तो यह जगह तुम्हारी है ... 

- अंशु , 1/1/12
By Anshu Gupta (Founder GOONJ.. )
I and many of us at GOONJ, believe in it and we want the community to grow !! 

Ups and down before I came to this world...B'day Special ; )

My life was in danger when I was in my mother's womb, being the fourth child she never wanted to bring me to this world. As my family belonged to a typical Indian village family having four siblings was a common thing. She was in the cart on  the way to hospital for abortion but my Grand Paa was the one who fought against everyone to bring me to this world. He had a great vision that there would be a baby boy and claimed that he had three sons so my son will also have three sons. As far as I know he hated girls. Luck was on grand Paa's side and he won, mom did not go to hospital and came back with a heavy heart.

Soon my father got transferred to Kanpur city and I was the first among my four siblings to be born in a city. Finally after all those ups and downs I was there before this mighty world. Youngest one in the house, I have been the most loved one since then. My upbringing has been done in the best possible way, whatever may be the financial situation, I was admitted to best convent school of the city. As I grew up  I saw my family dreaming with me, they have dreamed big and always believed in my potential. Today also they have such high hopes from me.

Till date I have never been able to give them their desired happiness(be it IIT or job or MBA), they have always compromised by finding happiness in my happiness. Sometimes I feel that our(me and my family) goals(success parameters) in which we see happiness are really different. But I am really sure that one day they would see the larger picture and understand what I have been working for !!

Nevertheless I will make them really proud one day : )

"Service before Self"
Prakhar Bhartiya

Vipassana: Look within : ) {May all be Happy }

Its hard...one of the toughest time I ever had but at the same time its a great learning experience.

Getting up at 4:00am in the morning, no meal after 12pm (just tea and two bananas in the evening), meditating for 12 hours a day and to practice silence(maun) for 10 days . All this seems tough but getting up at 4am, practicing silence and hunger wasn't an issue at all. The difficult part was mediation where I failed miserably, it was really hard for me to focus for 1hr in these 12 hours everyday. My mind was so unstable, it used to think so much, making future plans, thinking on topics that have bothered me since long.

I used to enter the Dhamma Hall(meditation hall, where everyone used to sit together to meditate) with complete focus that today I will surely meditate. First 5-10 min. used to go well and then again, the planning used to start. It was a good reality check for me, I don't know whether to take this in a negative way. But as the teaching of Vipassana says take it as it is, nothing is permanent, "This too shall pass". Every minute when the music was off, my mind was full on and when music(direction by the Acharya ji) were on I had a great focus. After 4th day there was a rule to sit for 3 hours(in three shifts of one hour each) in a position where you can't move your hands, leg and sit like an idol with eyes closed...ohh this was tough. One hour was like so hard, it seemed a day, I hardly managed to do it twice out of 18 opportunities ; )

All this apart I had planned a lot during these 10 days, streamlined all my messed up ideas, now I have concrete goals to work on, no more deviation, time to deliver. These 10 days have really helped me a lot to know more about myself, to streamline and prioritize the things I need to do, to make some tough decisions and the best part was the scenic beauty(no other beauty to look for :) ), I have never lived in such a beautiful place before. This course has strengthened my belief in "Dharma" and Gandhiji's and Buddha's saying "Truth is God".




On the way back to Delhi, I witnessed beautiful snow capped mountains, it looks just incredible, I have never seen such beautiful mountains before. But I dont know whether my grand children would be able to see this !!!

As from the plane...they just look magical !!!

                                                                             "Bhavatu Sabb Mangalam"




- With Love

"Service before Self"
Prakhar Bhartiya

Freezing Kathmandu !!

As I got down from bus, thoughts were that there would be some checking and all but nothing was there. I just walked through the border and reached Nepal. On the other side I went to the bus ticket counter to take the ticket for Kathmandu, I gave him 1000Rs. and he returned me 1150Rs.(ticket was of 300Rs(NC)), I thought he did some mistake but then realized that INC is around 1.6times NC. Was happy to have more money : )

The bus stopped twice on the way for tea break, it was chilling cold. We reached Kathmandu at around 7am and it was freezing there, had a coffee and then took a taxi to Vipassana City Centre office at Kanthipasth road.

Journey from City Office to Vipassana Centre: 

I am just loving the journey from the city centre to the main Vipassana centre situated at the foothills of Shivpuri National Park. I don't know about the experience but one thing that I surely know is that I will love this place, actually I am loving it. Kathmandu has a chilling weather but hot and decent girls.

We are sitting in a small van with around 20 students, 16 facing one side and four towards other 16. I am in the four and as I look towards their face I feel as if Vipassana has started, none of them have any expression on their face. Everyone is so quite like something has happened to them.

So, we are at our destination and this place is really very beautiful, its so green and the Kanthmandu valley looks amazing from here.

Time to get down : )


- With Love

"Service before Self"
Prakhar Bhartiya

My First ever foreign trip : )

I have been talking to my friends about my first ever foreign trip. They also laughed, when I say "foreign trip". So, finally the day came !!!

My train is from Delhi. Oh! I forgot to tell you where I am going, I am going to Kathmandu, Nepal. I am not very excited about going to Nepal but I am quite excited about my purpose of going there. I am going for a ten day meditation course, famously known as Vipassana. As per the schedule send by them, I had to get up at 4:00am and sleep by 9:30 pm and more importantly no diner only breakfast and lunch would be served. These things were enough to make a hogger(: )) bit nervous. I have heard that it would be freezing cold in Kathmandu, my father has called me several times to remind me of keeping warm clothes. I was finally set with my bag of woolen clothes and my most trustworthy "Lalimli" shawl(it has been in my rescue several times).
I was telling you that my train is from Delhi.

Journey Begins:

As usual after doing all the preparations beforehand, I managed to leave home just on time, then come the Delhi traffic which is always there to haunt you. My train to Gorakhpur was at 8:25pm but I managed to reach station 20 min. earlier. So, thought to have my dinner, went to the Jan Ahaar at platform no 16, ordered to give a packed Veg-Biriyani, he took 5Rs. extra to pack it. As I took it in hand a thought peeped in mind that I have nearly 18 min in hand, did some calculations in mind and started eating there only. Now 10 min left to reach platform no 7, rushed through the ever increasing population of our country and reached the platform.

There was constant announcement since last 10 min that Gorakhdham is arriving on platform no 7 and it went on for 20 more min after I reached the platform.

Isse acha to khana araam se khaya hota... ; )

Finally train came and guess what it reached Gorakhpur nearly 5 hours late. Then I took a bus from there to Sanauli border !!!

Yippee !!! About to step in a foreign nation: )

- With Love


"Service before Self"
Prakhar Bhartiya

Connecting The Dots: The Role Of Youth In India’s Progress

When we talk about “Nation Building” on the basis of policies, politics and (old) people; we miss a very important critical role which has to be played by the youth. But thanks to the changing scenario of our country – people have started realizing that the youth are not useless, but are just used-less.

I am a firm believer of the youth power and feel that if it gets connected to the society, a lot can be changed. But this connection has to be a deep rooted one, it can’t be a superficial effort to bring in bigger changes; it has to be at an emotional level. During my graduation days, I was trying to grab opportunities to work for various social causes and also connect my friends to them. What I realised at that time was that there were many people who wanted to work for a good cause but the problem was finding the right opportunity.

I was fortunate enough to get a few opportunities during college days and then, Teach For India happened. Teach For India gave me a chance to work at the ground level and understand the problems pertaining to the people belonging to the bottom of the pyramid. I joined Teach For India because I wanted to understand the need of “Bharat- The Real India”. I wanted to connect to these people, be with them, be a part of their lives and eventually find a way to connect youth and make it the solution of ever growing problems of this nation. Teach For India is the place where I met like-minded, committed and passionate people who were ready to come out of their comfort zones to make a difference. These young people made me realise that we all have the capacity to challenge the challenges of the world; they gave me hope and empowered my belief in the power of youth.

My classroom and community gave me the opportunity to learn more about the basic issues that are ignored not only by our government but also by the so-called civil society. Every day was a new lesson for me. The under resourced classroom taught me to be resourceful, 52 kids in the first year and 38 in the second year taught me perseverance, patience and sense of possibility. It actually made be believe that yes, “I Can” and “I Will”. The love showered by the students and community gave me the strength to work harder even in the gravest situations. Being a teacher is a phenomenal experience and one of the toughest ones.

Working in a government school for two years has immensely helped me understand how the government system is made dysfunctional. Education, which is one of the most important tools of our nation’s progress, is given least importance in a school. Today, I can say that in most of the government schools where focus should ideally be on its students, it is in fact on completing attendance registers and admin work. The system is made in such a way that the officials give least importance to studies; the teachers are engaged in so many other things that they hardly have any teaching time.

As an example, this year in the month of February and March, teachers were pulled out of classrooms to conduct population surveys. Classrooms were without teachers for more than a month and nobody cared. Why were only school teachers selected? Why were bank employees not selected or new people hired for this project? The answer is that the profit and loss of banks is easy to assess and is tangible. Our education system is made in such a way that there is no accountability check at any level. The first check, in case of the schooling system in India, is at Grade 10. Till then, a student has been under at least ten different teachers who can’t be held accountable in case of failure. Banks and PSUs are also government departments but they are profitable because they regularly check their profit-loss statement.

The big question is – why is education, especially primary education, ignored in our country? For a kid – the first profession that s/he witnesses is teaching, then why don’t we make our primary teachers the real role models?

Here is where I feel the role of Teach For India alumni strengthens; the journey actually starts after the two years of Fellowship. The two years of Fellowship, for me, are the learning period that equip one with tools to come out and be the change. To sum it up in a line,“Empower yourself to a position from where you can bring in the desired change.” I strongly feel positive about the potential of youth and hence, I am currently working to connect the youth to a cause under the flagship of Youth Alliance. Youth Alliance is an organization that I started during college and now it serves as a platform for youth to work for different causes.

Teach For India has taught me to question my actions before pointing out to other’s follies. Hence, at the end what matters is, “What will I do about it?”

-With Love

“Service before Self”

PrakharBhartiya is currently working on connecting youth to social causes through Youth Alliance and on NGO Reach Program with NIIT Foundation. He taught for 2-years, full-time at a Municipal School in Mumbai as a part of Teach For India’s first cohort of Fellows (2009-2011).

I wrote this article for "Youth Ki Awaaz" and it was published a month back !!!
http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2011/10/connecting-the-dots-the-role-of-youth-in-indias-progress/